Australia’s environment ministers will unite efforts to target waste involving lithium batteries, tyres and packaging.
The commitment was one of a number made at meeting of Federal, State and Territory ministers in Sydney last week, with the focus on transitioning the nation to a circular economy.
Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said the ministers had agreed to work together to stop lithium batteries ending up in landfill and causing dangerous fires.
Minister Plibersek said there was also commitment to find better and easier ways to deal with waste from tyres and packaging.
“I’m heartened by the strong environmental leadership of Environment Ministers in their states and territories, and their agreement to national targets,” she said.
Other areas in which consensus was reached was a cracking down on feral goats and “escaped” garden plants and endorsing Australia’s first national framework for recognising Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs).
Minister Plibersek said OECMs would help reach the target of protecting 30 percent of land by 2030 by increasing conservation outside national parks.
